


Cast A Reflection

by Higuchimon



Series: Deadly Daughter [2]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arc-V Angst Week, Diversity Writing Challenge, F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-07-15 03:58:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16055096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Higuchimon/pseuds/Higuchimon
Summary: To find one’s target means going deep undeercover, concealing one’s allegiance, and witnessing horrors undreamed of first hand.  Asuka never suspected to find a friend with the face of her beloved, let alone have to choose between the truth of her life and truths she’s just begun to learn.





	1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Cast a Reflection  
**Characters:** Asuka, Selena, Ruri|| **Ship:** Asuka x Selena/Selena x Asuka  
**Word Count:** 500/5,000|| **Chapters:** 1/10  
**Genre:** Angst, Friendship|| **Rated:** PG  
**Challenges:** Diversity Writing, Arc-V Alternate/Divergent timelines, G1, drabble novel; Word Count Set Boot Camp, #27, 5,000 words; Arc-V Angst Week Day #4, Separation  
**Notes:** This takes place in the same universe as my earlier fic **Good-bye**. For those who haven't read that, then the Professor chose to use Selena to find the other bracelet girls, and Asuka is her partner/girlfriend (much as Yuuri and Dennis work together in canon, only deeper).  
**Summary:** To find one’s target means going deep undeercover, concealing one’s allegiance, and witnessing horrors undreamed of first hand. Asuka never suspected to find a friend with the face of her beloved, let alone have to choose between the truth of her life and truths she’s just begun to learn.

* * *

Asuka wanted to turn her head away from what she saw. Endless lines of soldiers of Academia, marching through what had been a beautiful city only a few days earlier. 

Her heart ached every time she even considered what she’d had to do. But she’d seen that face, as familiar to her as her own heartbeat, and there wasn’t anything she could change about her orders. 

_I shouldn’t have listened._

The face was the same. The hair and eyes a little different, the expression _very_ different – the only time Selena didn’t look absolutely determine was when she was asleep – but two faces, identical in every other way. 

It sent shards of chill worry all through her, even more than when she’d sent the message back, that her target had been found and the invasion needed to begin. 

The whole thing failed to make sense to her, really. If the Professor wanted someone from this world captured, then why bring in entire armies to _card_ people? Especially when the one person they weren’t allowed to card was _that one_? 

It hadn’t made sense to her from the beginning and even less so now. 

The next part of her orders remained the same. If she could do this and then return to Academia, maybe she could talk to Selena about all of this. Selena would listen to her. Sometimes she was the only person Selena would listen to. 

_I should talk to them all._

Asuka wanted to find all of these girls, with mirror-image faces and those odd bracelets. She wanted to find them and bring them together and find out what was actually going on that the Professor wasn’t telling any of them about. 

There had to be something. The longer all of this went on, the more certain she found herself of it. She didn’t know what it was, only that something secret was going on. 

_Why are there these girls who look like Selena?_ There were four of them; one for each dimension. He’d told her and Selena that much. Each one identical in the face, but with slightly different hair and eyes, and each identical in age down to the birthday. All duelists to some degree or other – Asuka remembered hearing that the one here in XYZ dimension wanted to be a pro duelist one day. She wasn’t sure about the one from Synchro or Standard yet; she hadn’t yet received all the information about them. 

She pressed her lips together. She wanted all of that, but she knew that she wasn’t going to get it without putting in more effort. 

One good part about this invasion, if one could even call it _good_ \- she could hide herself in the destruction and claim she came from another part of the city. She’d never spoken to Kurosaki Ruri before. No one would know the truth of her origins. 

She planned carefully for how to blend in with the survivors. No deck. No friends. No family. 

Asuka started running. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** This will be updated on a weekly basis. See you next week!


	2. Chapter 2

**Words:** 1,000/5,000|| **Chapters:** 2/10

* * *

Before Asuka got started on her new mission, she worked on changing her look. Instead of the telltale Academia uniform or the generic outfit she’d worn when searching for the XYZ counterpart to Selena, now she had worn jeans, a sweater with a hole in the upper left shoulder, and battered shoes that gave off an air of having carried her through all manner of combat situations. To finish it off, she tied back her hair and made sure to pass through enough of the wreckage of Heartland to pick up soot and dirt. She hadn’t worn anything similar to this since joining Academia. 

She didn’t know where the Academia forces would be as she wandered in search of survivor pockets. Eventually she stumbled across a detachment of Academia soldiers, who turned towards her, duel disks raised and ready for combat. Her hands dropped at once by habit, searching for the deck and duel disk she didn’t have now, and one of the soldiers laughed. 

“Looks like this one can’t fight back!” He took a step closer to her and Asuka stood her ground. She had nothing here to mark where she came from and she couldn’t let herself be carded. Her instincts sparked to defeat them, without a deck and when it would be wiser to flee. 

“She might not be able to, but I can!” An unknown voice declared. The soldiers and Asuka turned at that, to see a young woman, roughly about Asuka’s age, striding towards them from the wreckage. “Is that what you want?” 

Asuka could only stare in surprise as the newcomer took on the trio of soldiers. She’d only seen XYZ summoning up close during her initial infiltration and that had been a very warm, caring sort of experience, bringing joy to others. It wasn’t something she’d seen before and it intrigued her more than she dared to let on. 

But what she saw now was something else altogether. This warrior sliced through her opponents with ease, her tactics overwhelming theirs, long icy claws of her monsters tearing into them, and the expression on her face never changing, haughty contempt mixed with flames of outrage. She wasn’t an entertainer. She brought devastation in her wake. 

She wasn’t the girl that Asuka came to find but she was a magnificent warrior. Where in the world had the resistance dug her up? 

As her ace monster struck down the last of the Academia soldiers, the stranger strode towards them. “Now, get out of here before I get _really_ angry!” 

Asuka hadn’t ever seen someone run so fast. She thought briefly about doing the same thing as the woman turned towards her. 

“Who are you? And what are you doing out here?” She hadn’t closed her duel disk. Her attention remained riveted on Asuka. Asuka stood straighter. This was it. 

“Tenjoin Asuka. Thank you for your help… but who _are_ you?” 

The stranger stared at her, as if reading into her soul, before she answered. “Kamishiro Rio.” 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Oops, did I forget to mention that in my Arc-V!Heartland, there are many Zexal cameos, not just Kaito? Bad me!


	3. Chapter 3

**Words:** 1,500/5,000|| **Chapters:** 3/10

* * *

“Which branch do you come from?” Rio asked as she and Asuka made their way through the ruined streets. Her steps were light and quick as they did so, and she kept an endless watch ahead and around them. 

Asuka already had that part of her backstory covered. “Star School.” She shook her head, eyes downcast for a heartbeat. “I don’t think there’s anyone left.” There wasn’t. Obelisk Force had completely cleaned the place out and they’d even checked the school records to be certain no strays would turn up. 

Rio nodded before ducking into the wreckage of a building, dragging Asuka with her. 

“Soldiers,” she murmured, lips pressed up against Asuka’s ear. Both of them remained deadly silent, letting the trio of Academia fighters march by. Their laughter echoed on the cold wind, cruel and mocking, fading away as they drew out of sight. 

Rio cast a glance after them, eyes narrowed and full of hate. She said nothing else before turning to check out where they were, some of the rage fading a bit as she moved forward. 

“I’m mostly on a supply run. We need as much food, blankets, and clothes as we can get.” An expression that might have been a smile touched on her lips. It didn’t look all that happy. “Duel discs and cards, too. _Real_ cards.” Her chilly gaze flicked towards Asuka. “For those who don’t have their own decks.” 

“I used to have one,” Asuka murmured, following Rio as she began to search around. “But I lost it and my deck a while ago.” 

“What do you run?” Rio asked, opening a door and pulling out blankets. 

“Nothing consistent. I hadn’t really found one that I liked well enough for that.” And the idea of using anything but Fusion rather revolted her. She’d spent so much time learning how to do it and she wasn’t going to stop now. She would have to XYZ summon if she dueled here, of course… 

Rio piled blankets into her arms and prowled throughout the rest of the place, checking for anything else she deemed useful. “We’ll get you a good deck, then.” 

Asuka nodded, trying her best to look enthused by this. She knew Selena would keep her real deck safe until she could come back for it. 

_As soon as I find Kurosaki Ruri and can take her back home. Or somewhere._ She knew her mission; she wouldn’t fail in her mission. But _she_ would decide what success actually meant. The thought of what the Professor really wanted worried her. Not all of this quite made sense… 

At the very basis, did they have enough people to literally take over three other worlds? These worlds had millions of people in them, maybe even billions. How many did their army have? What about the opposing armies of this world, the ones that didn’t use cards? 

Something wasn’t right about all of this and Asuka long since determined that she would find out what it was. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Asuka will cross paths with Ruri in due time. I want to get the seeds of her eventual change of heart planted and if she met Ruri too soon it wouldn’t happen like that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Words:** 2,000/5,000|| **Chapters:** 4/10

* * *

Emotions Asuka couldn’t name, that Academia training did its best to close off from her, choked in her throat. Tingles of rage and fear swept through her from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. She’d known, sort of. She’d known they attacked and she’d seen the damage laid out in this city. She couldn’t have missed it. 

But she saw now what that did to the people and her heart skipped and stuttered. 

_It’s for the best. It’s bad now, but it’s going to get better when the Professor’s project is complete._ She told herself that. It was the same line of thinking that she’d told herself from the first time she’d seen a battlefield. Of _course_ it was horrible now. It was war; war was always horrible. But what came after the war would be better. These people just – just didn’t - 

“I know,” Rio’s voice interrupted her scattered thoughts and Asuka jerked her head towards her, eyes wide. Rio stared down into the refugee camp, no doubts at all on _her_ face. “There are a lot more people in other places, too. A lot of us have survived, no matter what those Fusion monsters have done.” She glanced towards Asuka. “This isn’t our only camp, you know.” 

“I know.” Asuka managed to squeak the words out. She did; every Fusion soldier knew that while so many had already been defeated and carded, many others survived. “I didn’t know...” She tried to find more words to say after that but she kept staring at the spill of tents, people walking around on guard duty, others scattered here and there doing who knew what… 

She hefted the blankets in her arms. “Where do we go?” She was on a mission. She wanted to find Kurosaki Ruri and she couldn’t do that just by standing there. 

“This way.” Rio guided her into the camp. Asuka took care to watch everything around her, part of her wondering if she would see anyone that she knew. It wasn’t likely; there were stories about defectors, but to find them in a refugee camp wasn’t what she expected. 

What she did see were people she could have known. Ordinary people, of every age and type, huddled together, some tending wounds, some trying to eat meals that didn’t look very filling or satisfying. 

Every word she’d ever heard about the XYZ people tumbled through her head. They were nothing. They were useless. Their lives would be improved by this war. It would be better, no matter what. 

_But it’s horrible now. What does being better mean when you go through hell to get it?_

Especially a hell they hadn’t chosen for themselves, a hell forced on them by other people. 

“Rio! Rio! You’re back!” 

Asuka glanced at the cry to see a little girl charging towards them. Slender arms wrapped around Rio and the duel warrior embraced the child. Asuka’s heart clenched even harder. 

_Children. We’ve made children live like this._

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Who can guess who the kid is? It shouldn’t be that hard. I am doing many more Zexal cameos, after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Words:** 2,500/5,000|| **Chapters:** 5/10

* * *

Asuka kept the screams of horror and rage behind her lips. She plastered a tiny – and extremely painful – smile on her lips as Rio picked up the little girl and turned towards her. 

“This is Iris – our baby sister. Iris, this is Tenjoin Asuka. We met while I was outside.” 

Iris turned large eyes toward her and Asuka widened her smile a fraction, hoping it didn’t look as horrid as she feared. Now wasn’t a time for smiling. She didn’t know what the time was, only that locating Kurosaki Ruri remained her first and most important goal. 

_I can’t let the Professor have her. Not now, not ever._ She’d considered that before but it hadn’t ever sunk into her bones the way that it did now. Whatever he wanted, it couldn’t happen. 

But she didn’t dare ask about Ruri, not when she supposedly didn’t know anyone. Being a spy meant not ever telling everything you knew or didn’t know. It also meant concealing what you thought or felt – about everything. 

So she kept smiling and followed them through the camp, listening to them catch up. Apparently they had an older brother – Ryouga – who ran this resistance. Having someone barely old enough to have graduated high school in charge surprised Asuka. Even the Commander of the XYZ invasion force graduated first – as well as being the most elite of the elite. These people hadn’t had anything like that. 

_Find Ruri,_ she reminded herself. _Nothing else matters._ She couldn’t ask about Ruri directly but there were other ways. 

“Is this everyone that’s left?” There had to be more of them. She couldn’t see the whole camp but just from the information that Fusion had, these couldn’t be the only survivors. 

Rio shifted Iris to her other arm. “No. We don’t know where they all are. We try not to stay in touch too much. It’s better that way.” 

Asuka nodded. Most of the Fusion soldiers weren’t interesting in taking prisoners but she knew there were exceptions. If anyone were captured who could spill the resistance’s secrets, it could be a disaster for all of them. 

She hefted the blankets in her arms. “Where can I put these? They’re getting heavy.” Which wasn’t a lie. She’d carried them a long way and having to manuver through the shattered city hadn’t made it any easier. 

“This way. I’ll introduce you to Ryouga, too.” 

Asuka followed, her gaze quietly flickering over the people she passed as she did. None of them were Ruri. All of them were quiet, wrapped in blankets and bandages, with varying levels of pain and fear written clear in their features. Most of them didn’t look at her as she passed. One or two came up and asked for a blanket, clearly not having any of their own. At Rio’s nod she passed out a few. 

By the time they arrived at Ryouga’s tent, she didn’t have anymore and the thought of the bed she’d left behind hurt more than ever. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** I could write fics upon fics with the Resistance and how they manage. It’s almost as fertile fic fodder as Dark World!


	6. Chapter 6

**Words:** 3,000/5,000|| **Chapters:** 6/10

* * *

Ruri wasn’t there. Asuka didn’t ask about her but as she explored the refugee camp and met people, she could tell that Ruri wasn’t there at all. A few chance words mentioned other camps, mostly centered around other duel schools. Those, she decided, had a far better chance of having Ruri in them. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Rio asked as Asuka started to pack those few items she’d acquired during her brief stay. “You still don’t have a deck.” 

“Someone has to get the medicine,” Asuka pointed out. They needed the supplies and other camps had them, which meant someone had to go get them. “You don’t have anyone else that you can spare.” 

Rio didn’t look all that convinced, but she nodded regardless. “Then be careful and get back here soon.” 

Asuka didn’t argue. If she found Ruri… _when_ she found Ruri… she didn’t know if she’d come back. She’d see to it they got the medicine, but after that… 

She liked these people. They hated everything Fusion stood for and the longer that she stayed among them the more she understood why. What had been done here wasn’t right and it didn’t _matter_ what excuses the Professor gave. If he were all that interested in a better world, he wouldn’t have destroyed this one. She still had no further clues as to his real goals but perhaps finding those who wore Selena’s face would help. 

_I miss you,_ she thought as she made her way through the ruins of the city. _And I wish you understood what I’m going to do._ She knew Selena wouldn’t. Not yet. Selena grew up under the Professor’s favor and with his blessings and training, given important missions and treated like his daughter. Asuka wasn’t certain of what it would take to get her to see the truth. 

Maybe finding those counterparts would help. As long as they didn’t also fall into the hands of the Professor. 

Asuka picked her way from refugee camp to refugee camp. Not all of them were open and welcoming, even when she revealed what she carried with her. Medicine, clothes, spare cards, duel disks, she took them all everywhere. Some welcomed her trade. Some barely allowed her time to rest before insisting she move on. 

She didn’t know how much time she spent traveling. She tried to send the occasional message to Rio but she couldn’t be certain if they went through or if Rio even cared after a while. 

Her main mission never changed. Wherever she went she searched and listened for any hint of Ruri. There were a few whispers here and there about who lived in other camps and how they were doing and what they needed and why – that was what she heard the most, given her wandering connections. It almost reached a point where Asuka wondered if perhaps Ruri had somehow been carded when she wasn’t aware. 

Until the day their eyes met for the very first time. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Some day I may write about Asuka’s adventures in connecting the various refugee centers of XYZ. That day is not today.


	7. Chapter 7

**Words:** 3,500/5,000|| **Chapters:** 7/10

* * *

Shun stared at her. Asuka would’ve thought he had some idea of where she’d come from, if he didn’t give off the extremely strong sensation that he didn’t trust anyone who wasn’t Ruri or Yuuto. She didn’t blame him for that, no matter how much it made her nervous. 

But she worked carefully to keep her secret and to distribute what she’d brought with her. This particular load involved personal needs – those didn’t vanish just because of an invasion and a war – as well as spare clothes and other odds and ends. Food remained a huge necessity and she’d brought along what could be spared from other camps. 

The supplies would run out eventually, at least the ones available to scavenge from Heartland itself. She hadn’t heard about other cities during her travels. She knew they existed; she’d seen tattered maps and books, but communications were difficult, if not actually impossible. 

_She really looks so much like Selena._ Asuka knew every line of Selena’s face and to see it on Ruri’s, but with different hair and eyes and expression, that would require some getting used to. Her voice sounded different as well. But there wasn’t any doubt that Ruri was the one she was looking for. 

Another difference Asuka noticed was their attitude in general. Selena cared for nothing that wasn’t making the Professor happy. From what little Asuka heard from Ruri about the war and those who fought and the one who started it, Ruri would gladly have strangled him if the opportunity arose. 

Ruri didn’t strike her as normally a violent person, even if she defended herself quite well when necessary, but after what happened to her city, anyone could be enraged enough. 

_How can I talk to her?_ Asuka wanted to so very much. Being around her continually brought her thoughts back to Selena and her self-chosen mission to uncover what the Professor’s plans really were. She thought Ruri – and Shun and Yuuto – would be willing to help unset them, but the thought of what they would do if they found out she was from Fusion chilled her. 

She’d already seen what Shun would do to Fusion soldiers. Of all the people in this branch of the resistance refugees, he went out on his own the most to crush any soldiers that he came across. He didn’t just try to defeat them – though he did that very well. Not long after Asuka arrived there, he started showing up from his forays outward with Fusion soldiers sealed into cards. 

How he got the tech Asuka didn’t know. She wanted to ask, but the rumors she managed to hear were already too confusing to think about where to start. 

The key to talking to Ruri came almost a week after her arrival here. At least she hoped it was the key, since she and Ruri were to go out and hunt up any fresh supplies and see if their leftovers could be sent to anyone else who needed them. 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** It was right around here I had the most lovely idea for something I can do (and will do). The story of Asuka and the XYZ Resistance has only just begun!


	8. Chapter 8

**Words:** 4,000/5,000|| **Chapters:** 8/10

* * *

The second night after leaving the refugee area, Asuka and Ruri sat in front of an extremely tiny fire, one that gave more warmth than light. They’d hidden in the ruins of an abandoned home, where by some great good luck the fireplace survived. It took some effort to clean it out and they didn’t let the fire burn until after nightfall, in order to keep their location hidden. 

Asuka nibbled on a strip of meat as she tried to decide how to broach the subject. This was the best time to do it; they were far away from everyone else, and she hoped she could calm Ruri down if she grew angry over Asuka’s origins. The fact that Ruri was armed – deck and duel disc with the ability to card someone – would hopefully work in her favor. 

_All right. Let’s do it._ Asuka refused to let the words spill out carelessly. She thought again before she started. 

“Have you ever thought about visiting any of the other dimensions?” Asuka asked, her focus more on the flames that flickered between them than anything else. Ruri tilted her head a bit. 

“Why would I go? I’ve got all I can do trying to get rid of the Fusion people in _this_ one.” 

Asuka nodded, picking up a long stick she’d scavenged to start poking into the fire. “But if you had the chance? Just to visit? After the war?” _Or to stop the war itself?_

Ruri didn’t answer that, staring down into the flames herself. “I don’t know,” she said at last. “It could be interesting to see what those worlds are like.” 

Over the last few weeks, information leaked through the resistance about the different dimensions based on the summoning methods: at least the four major ones. Asuka always wondered why there wasn’t a Ritual dimension. A tiny part of her wondered if the Professor knew something about that. 

Asuka nodded quietly. “Everything would be different in those.” Oh, how well she knew _that_ More words slipped out of her. “But some things are the same.” 

Only a breath passed before Ruri looked at her, eyes narrowed. “Like what?” Too much sharpness in her words. Too much wariness. Asuka considered her options and decided they weren’t nearly as many as she’d hoped. She needed to tell Ruri and Ruri had decisions to make. 

“Some people are the same.” Her fingers twitched a fraction. “Like… like you.” 

Silence fell in between the two of them, a silence heavy with emotions that Asuka didn’t dare to admit to. Ruri demanded more with her silence and her stare and Asuka could not deny her. 

“Four dimensions. Four girls who look just like each other except for the hair and eyes… and their summoning method.” Asuka thought her lips moved, but it wasn’t a smile at all. “I want to meet them all. I’ve already met two.” She glanced at Ruri, who still didn’t move. “I’ve met you. And I’ve met Selena – from Fusion.” 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** Nearing the end here! Or the beginning. Call it what you will.


	9. Chapter 9

**Words:** 4,500/5,000|| **Chapters:** 9/10

* * *

Ruri stared at her, expression blank and one hand near her deck. Asuka chose words as her only defense. 

“Selena looks just like you. Only she has purple hair and green eyes.” Asuka glanced for a moment. “Lighter purple than yours and it’s shorter. But you _look_ the same.” Asuka waved one hand to indicate her features. So far Ruri hadn’t said a word. “You have a bracelet like hers, too. Selena also works directly for the Professor, who arranged this invasion.” 

And there Ruri broke in, gentle eyes flaming in rage. “If she works for him, then she’s nothing like me, whatever she looks like!” 

Asuka couldn’t argue that. She didn’t even try. “I know. I want to get her away from him, but I can’t do it right now. What I want to do is find you: you and the ones from the Synchro Dimension and from Standard. Once you’re all together, you can talk to Selena and get her to see reason.” Her gaze dropped back to the fire. “I’m not sure if she’d listen to me, especially not now.” 

The question seemed dragged out of Ruri, as if she didn’t want to know and yet couldn’t bring herself not to ask. “Why not now?” 

“I have to go back there and report in person. When I do, I’m going to tell her that I’m leaving and not coming back. That I want nothing more to do with the Professor and his plans.” 

There were other things she knew she’d have to let Selena believe, at least for now. Selena didn’t know she’d left her deck behind. She would tell Selena that she’d carded Fusion soldiers. Selena would believe her. Though the more she got to know these people of XYZ, the more Asuka suspected she would if necessary. Some of them genuinely deserved it. 

Asuka raised her head to smile, but she didn’t feel even close to being happy. “I wouldn’t tell her where I’m going even if I knew. I won’t tell her anything about anyone I’ve met or where the refugee camps are.” She probably knew more about that than anyone else did, with how much she’d traveled between them. 

They would – should – card her for that. To keep them all safe. If that was what they wanted, Asuka wouldn’t protest. She suspected Shun would tear the card in half once he knew about her. She wasn’t sure if she’d protest about that or not. 

“Why are you trying to find us?” Ruri asked. She hadn’t activated her duel disc yet but she looked ready to do so at any moment. “What do you want with us?” 

“Like I said, I want to stop the Professor. What he wants – to shove the dimensions together – that’s wrong. I don’t know what finding you has to do with it. If I don’t succeed, he’ll send someone else.” Asuka pulled in a breath. “Will you come to Synchro with me? So we can find the one there?” 

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Notes:** I could tell so many more stories about this part. What Ruri is thinking. What Shun and Yuuto will think when they hear about this. Maybe some day...


	10. Chapter 10

**Words:** 5,000/5,000|| **Chapters:** 10/10

* * *

Silence hung between them for several long minutes, to the point Asuka put a few more pieces of scavenged wood on the fire. Ruri finally spoke. 

“What’s Synchro like?” 

Asuka dared to hope this meant Ruri would come with her. “Like anywhere else, except their main summoning method is… Synchro.” Her lips twitched for a few heartbeats. “I haven’t studied much about it there, but I need to get some more information before we – I – go there. Find out about who I would be looking for.” She ducked her head down. “And explain why I don’t have you with me.” 

Ruri started to say something and Asuka shook her head. “Even if you wanted to go to Synchro with me, you can’t go to Fusion. If they knew you were there, you would be locked up and never released. Maybe even carded, to keep you safe until the Professor has all four of you.” She snorted ever so softly. “I’m surprised that he didn’t do that to Selena. But I guess he counts on her staying loyal to him.” 

“Will she?” 

Asuka shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t want to think she will.” Her fingers laced together, remembering many times when she and Selena sat together in Selena’s rooms or her own or in one of the Academia gardens, fingers intertwined, staring up at the skies and wondering what the stars of other dimensions were like. _They’re the same. They shouldn’t be, but they are._ “It would help if she found out exactly what this war’s been like. I know I didn’t believe there was anything really wrong about it until I saw it all for myself. She’s only seen a little on the edges. She hasn’t been down here personally.” 

Ruri could tell her what happened: could tell her the truth of the war. Asuka wanted to believe Selena would change her mind once she knew. The other two might be harder to convince but she had to try. 

Again the silence reigned, and again Ruri broke it. “I don’t know if I should believe you.” 

Of course she didn’t. All Asuka had were her words to go on. She had nothing at all that could prove where she came from. There weren’t any soldiers available who would recognize her and even if they did, only Selena, Barrett, and the Professor knew about her mission. Only she knew how she’d changed as well. 

“I understand. But once we get back, I have to go.” Asuka made sure to meet Ruri’s eyes, hoping that it would convey her sincerity. “Find a way to move your camp – send out word to move all the camps. Because if anything happens and the commanders back in Fusion suspect at all at what I’ve done or want to do, they’ll strip the information on where you all are from me and I won’t have that. I won’t let any of you be hurt.” 

She could do nothing more. 

At least not now. 

* * *

**The End**

**Notes:** Ruri would need far more evidence to believe Asuka’s story. And in time, that evidence will appear. But that is another story. As are tales of Asuka and Selena, pre and post war, and how the girls meet and do **not** get captured and brainwashed by Academia. Normally I love a good brainwashing but Arc-V….just no. 

Other stories, other times. But this is one WIP down and twenty-six more to go for 2019.


End file.
